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Matshazi's naked Pan-Africanist rhetoric
Grace Kwinjeh's Independence Day article 'Happy birthday to an unfinished revolution' has attracted several comments from our readers. Kuthula Matshazi accused her of distortion. But Zimbabwe's Number One cartoonist Tony Namate disagrees
Editor - Grace Kwinjeh, I am behind your brilliant article, 100 percent. No, make that a zillion - nay, a gazillion percent. Kuthula Matshazi , in responding to Grace's article, deliberately skirted issues she raised because he was in a hurry to rubbish her, as is won't with many a "Pan-Africanist".
Yet the man grudgingly admitted Grace "is so smart that she filled her story with examples that indeed happened, however, like everyone else who is attempting to justify her point she skirts on mentioning the dynamics inherent in the African situation."
His mostly confusing Pan-Africanist rhetoric doesn't give examples of these so-called African dynamics. The same Kuthula Matshazi, who failed to respond to a single point raised by my sister Grace, has the audacity to say: "What Zimbabweans don't want is money from Brussels and other colonialist capitals soiling our politics".
But the truth of the matter, bro, is that Gideon Gono is calling on anyone with "money from Brussels and other colonialist capitals" to send it to Zimbabwe and save our politics! This kind of cheap, backward, unmitigated, and dishonest politics has become inherent among Africa's so-called Pan-Africanists, and it cannot go unchallenged because, Mr Matshazi, you yourself are writing from the comfort of a capitalist capital, somewhere in the Canada. Lord knows WHY you ran away to the throes of a "murderous US" (your own words). What is there that you can't find in Zimbabwe?
Further, I disagree with Matshazi when he says that "Grace did a good job of ridiculing Africans". There is a difference between an African leader and those Africans under him, period. When African leaders say they are one with the people, they are LYING. For far too long, African sycophants, whose full time job is to sing praises of African leaders no matter how badly they manage their countries, (or simply because they single-handedly "liberated" us) have been at the forefront of speaking on behalf of us Africans.
| "The truth of the matter is that 99% of African leaders have made us miserable. The majority are thieves, and mafia type leaders" |
| TONY NAMATE |
The moment one ridicules
African leaders, these shameless praise-singers automatically rush and
cry blue murder, because as far as they're concerned,
African leaders and their people "are one". Nothing could
be further from the truth. Ask any African who has suffered at the hands
of these leaders if they agree with you. A true African is one who doesn't
reveal the atrocities that are going on around him. There is a difference
between village politics where issues are solved amicably, and global
politics, where people have to answer for their crimes. Africans are
not the only ones who have fought revolutions.
The truth of the matter is that 99% of African leaders have made us miserable. The majority are thieves, and mafia type leaders who deserve to be tried by their OWN people.
But Grace made one mistake though. She said the revolution is unfinished. That is wrong. The revolution that was started by our grandfathers (some of whom are still in power) is finished. It got finished once they assumed power, only lying to us that the revolution is on-going once they felt their power was threatened. What is emerging is a new revolution. It is a revolution about ACTION: not about slogans, or promises, or hand-wringing, or hot-air summits. It is a revolution about exposing the rape our our sisters and mothers by fellow Africans(whether in war or outside war), the amputation of children, the child slavery, the child soldiers, and other ills that the so-called African Union and Nepad conveniently sweep aside. It is about the rape of our women by UN "peace keepers" in DRC and British soldiers in Kenya.
However, before we completely close the chapter on the last revolution and relegate it to the museums of posterity, we must give those in undiscovered mass graves a decent burial, we must heal the wounds of the millions victims of rape, amputation, torture, and we must write their story from an unbiased, non-partisan point of view. These are the silent victims of those who chose to look the other way like the Kuthula Matshazis of this world. And I sincerely hope that one day, Africa will tell its silent story through a museum that will tell visitors its tales of brutal colonization, brutal civil waqrs, brutal liberation wars, and brutal African leaders. The time of the dinosaur African who dwells in the "liberation struggle" rhetoric is gone. There is a new kind of African man and woman emerging from Africa.
And they demand to catch up with the rest of the global world. Grace says in her last paragraph: "I despair. Happy birthday Zimbabwe. To a very unfinished revolution."
You cannot afford
to despair. The revolution has just started.
CONTACT TONY: tonynamate@yahoo.co.uk
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